A directional coupler includes an element body that is insulating, and a main line and a secondary line both disposed in the element body and being conductive. The directional coupler has a mount surface positioned on a mounted side when the directional coupler is mounted. A first line portion of the main line and a second line portion of the secondary line are electromagnetically coupled to each other. The first line portion has a thickness smaller than a line width of the first line portion, and is disposed in the element body in such a manner that an axis along a thickness direction of the first line portion does not intersect the mount surface.
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1. A directional coupler comprising:
an element body that is insulating; and
a main line and a secondary line both disposed in the element body and being conductive,
wherein the directional coupler has a mount surface positioned on a mounted side when the directional coupler is mounted;
a first line portion of the main line and a second line portion of the secondary line are electromagnetically coupled to each other; and
the first line portion has a thickness smaller than a line width of the first line portion, and is disposed in the element body in such a manner that an axis along a thickness direction of the first line portion does not intersect the mount surface,
wherein the mount surface has a pair of first mounting terminals connected to respective ends of the main line, and a pair of second mounting terminals connected to respective ends of the secondary line, and
wherein the pair of first mounting terminals and the pair of second mounting terminals are disposed on the mount surface and embedded from the mount surface into the element body.
2. The directional coupler according to
3. The directional coupler according to
4. The directional coupler according to
the first line portion and the second line portion are each disposed on one of the plurality of insulating layers.
5. The directional coupler according to
6. The directional coupler according to
7. The directional coupler according to
the second line portion has a surface perpendicular to the thickness direction of the second line portion, and is disposed in the element body in such a manner that the surface of the second line portion is perpendicular to the mount surface.
8. The directional coupler according to
wherein the ground electrode is disposed on the insulating layer different from the insulating layer having the first line portion or second line portion disposed thereon.
9. The directional coupler according to
10. The directional coupler according to
11. A radio-frequency module comprising:
the directional coupler according to
a mount substrate having the directional coupler mounted thereon,
wherein the mount substrate includes a substrate electrode disposed parallel to a principal surface of the mount substrate; and
the directional coupler is mounted on the mount substrate in such a manner that the mount surface is parallel to the substrate electrode.
12. The directional coupler according to
the second line portion has a surface perpendicular to the thickness direction of the second line portion, and is disposed in the element body in such a manner that the surface of the second line portion is perpendicular to the mount surface.
13. The directional coupler according to
the second line portion has a surface perpendicular to the thickness direction of the second line portion, and is disposed in the element body in such a manner that the surface of the second line portion is perpendicular to the mount surface.
14. The directional coupler according to
the second line portion has a surface perpendicular to the thickness direction of the second line portion, and is disposed in the element body in such a manner that the surface of the second line portion is perpendicular to the mount surface.
15. The directional coupler according to
the second line portion has a surface perpendicular to the thickness direction of the second line portion, and is disposed in the element body in such a manner that the surface of the second line portion is perpendicular to the mount surface.
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This is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/JP2018/019079 filed on May 17, 2018 which claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-099859 filed on May 19, 2017. The contents of these applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
The present disclosure relates to a directional coupler including a main line and a secondary line, and also relates to a radio-frequency module including the directional coupler.
Conventionally, directional couplers including a main line and a secondary line have been known. Directional couplers are used, for example, to electromagnetically couple the secondary line to the main line to allow an electric signal transmitted through the main line to be detected in the secondary line. In a directional coupler disclosed in Patent Document 1, the line surfaces of a main line and a secondary line, which are in a coupling region of the main line and the secondary line, are parallel to a bottom (mount surface) of the directional coupler.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 3765261
In the directional coupler disclosed in Patent Document 1, when for example the directional coupler is mounted on a mount substrate, the line surfaces of the main line and the secondary line face a land electrode, a signal electrode, or a ground electrode formed in or on the mount substrate and this causes stray capacitance to occur. The occurrence of stray capacitance degrades the characteristics of the directional coupler.
Accordingly, the present disclosure provides, for example, a directional coupler that can suppress the occurrence of stray capacitance when the directional coupler is mounted on a mount substrate.
A directional coupler according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes an element body that is insulating, and a main line and a secondary line both disposed in the element body and being conductive. The directional coupler has a mount surface positioned on a mounted side when the directional coupler is mounted. A first line portion of the main line and a second line portion of the secondary line are electromagnetically coupled to each other. The first line portion has a thickness smaller than a line width of the first line portion, and is disposed in the element body in such a manner that an axis along a thickness direction of the first line portion does not intersect the mount surface.
As described above, the thickness of the first line portion is made smaller than the line width, and the first line portion is disposed in the element body in such a manner that the axis along the thickness direction of the first line portion does not intersect the mount surface. Thus, when the directional coupler is mounted on a mount substrate, the area where the first line portion faces an electrode of the mount substrate can be reduced. This can suppress the occurrence of stray capacitance when the directional coupler is mounted on the mount substrate, and thus can prevent degradation of characteristics of the directional coupler.
The second line portion may have a thickness smaller than a line width of the second line portion, and may be disposed in the element body in such a manner that an axis along a thickness direction of the second line portion does not intersect the mount surface.
With this configuration, where the thickness of the second line portion is made smaller than the line width and the second line portion is disposed in the element body in such a manner that the axis along the thickness direction of the second line portion does not intersect the mount surface, when the directional coupler is mounted on the mount substrate, the area where the second line portion faces the electrode of the mount substrate can be reduced. This can suppress the occurrence of stray capacitance when the directional coupler is mounted on the mount substrate, and thus can prevent degradation of characteristics of the directional coupler.
The axis along the thickness direction of the first line portion and the axis along the thickness direction of the second line portion may be parallel to the mount surface.
With this configuration, where the axes along the thickness directions of the first line portion and the second line portion are made parallel to the mount surface, when the directional coupler is mounted on the mount substrate, the area where the first line portion and the second line portion face the electrode of the mount substrate can be reduced. This can suppress the occurrence of stray capacitance when the directional coupler is mounted on the mount substrate, and thus can prevent degradation of characteristics of the directional coupler.
The element body may include a plurality of insulating layers stacked along the thickness direction of the first line portion, and the first line portion and the second line portion may each be disposed on one of the plurality of insulating layers.
This makes it easy to form the structure of the directional coupler in which the first line portion and the second line portion are smaller in size in the thickness direction, and also to form the structure of the directional coupler in which the axis along the thickness direction does not intersect the mount surface.
The first line portion and the second line portion may be arranged adjacent to each other in the thickness direction, with at least one of the plurality of insulating layers interposed therebetween.
With this configuration, the lines can face each other by using parts of the first line portion and the second line portion corresponding to the line widths larger in size than the thicknesses of the first line portion and the second line portion. This makes it possible to secure capacitive coupling between the first line portion and the second line portion.
The first line portion and the second line portion may be disposed on the same surface of one of the plurality of insulating layers.
With this configuration, the lines can face each other by using parts of the first line portion and the second line portion corresponding to the thicknesses smaller in size than the line widths of the first line portion and the second line portion. This makes it possible to reduce capacitive coupling between the first line portion and the second line portion.
The first line portion may have a surface perpendicular to the thickness direction of the first line portion, and may be disposed in the element body in such a manner that the surface of the first line portion is perpendicular to the mount surface. The second line portion may have a surface perpendicular to the thickness direction of the second line portion, and may be disposed in the element body in such a manner that the surface of the second line portion is perpendicular to the mount surface.
With this configuration, where the surfaces larger in size than the thicknesses of the first line portion and the second line portion are disposed in a direction perpendicular to the mount surface, when the directional coupler is mounted on the mount substrate, the area where the surfaces face the electrode of the mount substrate can be minimized. This can suppress the occurrence of stray capacitance when the directional coupler is mounted on the mount substrate, and thus can prevent degradation of characteristics of the directional coupler.
The mount surface may have a pair of first mounting terminals connected to respective ends of the main line, and a pair of second mounting terminals connected to respective ends of the secondary line.
This enables accurate mounting of the directional coupler on the mount substrate, and can reduce variation in stray capacitance occurring when the directional coupler is mounted on the mount substrate.
The pair of first mounting terminals and the pair of second mounting terminals may be disposed on the mount surface and embedded from the mount surface into the element body.
This can enhance close contact between the element body and the first and second mounting terminals.
The directional coupler may further include a ground electrode disposed in the element body or on a surface of the element body, and the ground electrode may be disposed on the insulating layer different from the insulating layer having the first line portion or second line portion disposed thereon.
This improves shielding performance of the directional coupler, and enables adjustment of the impedance of the directional coupler to the required specification.
The ground electrode may be disposed outside a region between the first line portion and the second line portion in the thickness directions of the first line portion and the second line portion, and may be disposed in such a manner that an electrode surface of the ground electrode intersects the axes along the thickness directions of the first line portion and the second line portion.
This can prevent a magnetic field generated by the directional coupler from leaking out.
The ground electrode may be disposed in such a manner that the electrode surface is perpendicular to the mount surface.
This can suppress the occurrence of stray capacitance between the ground electrode of the directional coupler and the electrode of the mount substrate.
A radio-frequency module according to another aspect of the present disclosure is a radio-frequency module that includes the directional coupler described above, and a mount substrate having the directional coupler mounted thereon. The mount substrate includes a substrate electrode disposed parallel to a principal surface of the mount substrate, and the directional coupler is mounted on the mount substrate in such a manner that the mount surface is parallel to the substrate electrode.
This radio-frequency module can suppress stray capacitance occurring between the directional coupler and the mount substrate.
The directional coupler according to the present disclosure can suppress the occurrence of stray capacitance when the directional coupler is mounted on the mount substrate. The radio-frequency module according to the present disclosure can suppress stray capacitance occurring between the directional coupler and the mount substrate.
Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail using the drawings. The embodiments described herein represent either general or specific examples. Numerical values, shapes, materials, component elements, arrangements and modes of connection of the component elements, manufacturing steps, the order of the manufacturing steps, and other features presented in the embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Of the component elements in the following embodiments, those not defined in the independent claims will be described as being optional.
Note that the drawings are schematic and are not necessarily exactly to scale. In the drawings, substantially the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and redundant description will be omitted or simplified.
[1-1. Configuration of Directional Coupler]
A configuration of a directional coupler 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to
As illustrated in
The directional coupler 1 is rectangular parallelepiped-like in outer shape and has a mount surface 5, a top surface 6 opposite the mount surface 5, and four side faces 7 perpendicular to both the mount surface 5 and the top surface 6. The mount surface 5 is a surface positioned on the mounted side when the directional coupler 1 is mounted on a mount substrate. In other words, when the directional coupler 1 is mounted, the mount surface 5 faces a principal surface of the mount substrate.
The element body 30 is formed, for example, by stacking a plurality of insulating layers a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, and m. The plurality of insulating layers a to m are each formed, for example, using a dielectric material. The insulating layers a and m are outermost layers, each serving as an outer coating.
The stacking direction in which the plurality of insulating layers a to m are stacked is defined as the X-direction, the direction in which the mount surface 5 and the top surface 6 face each other is defined as the Z-direction, and the direction perpendicular to both the X-direction and the Z-direction is defined as the Y-direction. The mount surface 5 described above is perpendicular to an axis along the Z-direction, and is parallel to an axis along the X-direction.
The mount surface 5 has the pair of first mounting terminals 51a and 51b and the pair of second mounting terminals 52a and 52b. The first mounting terminals 51a and 51b and the second mounting terminals 52a and 52b are embedded from the mount surface 5 into the element body 30 in the direction perpendicular to the mount surface 5 (Z-direction).
The first mounting terminals 51a and 51b and the second mounting terminals 52a and 52b are arranged in a land grid array (LGA) on the mount surface 5. The first mounting terminals 51a and 51b and the second mounting terminals 52a and 52b are each rectangular parallelepiped-like in outer shape. In other words, the first mounting terminals 51a and 51b and the second mounting terminals 52a and 52b are each rectangular in cross-section taken along a plane perpendicular to the mount surface 5.
The first mounting terminals 51a and 51b are each formed by stacking interlayer conductors v51 in the three adjacent insulating layers b, c, and d of the plurality of insulating layers a to m in the stacking direction (see
The first mounting terminals 51a and 51b are connected to respective ends of the main line 10. The second mounting terminals 52a and 52b are connected to respective ends of the secondary line 20.
The main line 10 has a first line portion 11 and a pair of extended line portions 15 connected to respective ends of the first line portion 11 (see
An electric signal is transmitted to the first line portion 11 through the first mounting terminals 51a and 51b and the pair of extended line portions 15. A line thickness t1 of the first line portion 11 is smaller in size than a line width w1 of the first line portion 11 (see
The secondary line 20 has a second line portion 21 and a pair of extended line portions 25 connected to respective ends of the second line portion 21 (see
A line thickness t2 of the second line portion 21 is smaller in size than a line width w2 of the second line portion 21 (see
The second line portion 21 and the first line portion 11 are arranged adjacent to each other, with the insulating layer g interposed therebetween, in the stacking direction of the insulating layers a to m (i.e., in the line thickness direction of the first line portion 11). The second line portion 21 has a line surface 22 perpendicular to the line thickness direction. The line surface 22 of the second line portion 21 is perpendicular to the mount surface 5 and faces the line surface 12 of the first line portion 11.
The second line portion 21 having the structure described above is electromagnetically coupled to the first line portion 11. Being “electromagnetically coupled” means being “capacitively coupled” and “magnetically coupled” at the same time. That is, the first line portion 11 and the second line portion 21 are capacitively coupled by capacitance formed therebetween, and are magnetically coupled by mutual inductance therebetween.
[1-2. Configuration of Radio-Frequency Module Including Directional Coupler]
Next, with reference to
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The mount substrate 80 has, for example, substrate electrodes 82a, 82b, and 82c disposed parallel to a principal surface 80a of the mount substrate 80. The substrate electrodes 82a are land electrodes formed on the principal surface 80a of the mount substrate 80. The substrate electrode 82b is a signal-transmitting electrode formed inside the mount substrate 80, and the substrate electrode 82c is a ground electrode disposed inside the mount substrate 80.
The directional coupler 1 is mounted, for example, by soldering onto the mount substrate 80 in such a manner that the mount surface 5 of the directional coupler 1 is parallel to the substrate electrode 82a, 82b, or 82c.
In the directional coupler 1 according to the present embodiment, the thickness t1 of the first line portion 11 is smaller than the line width w1, and the thickness t2 of the second line portion 21 is smaller than the line width w2. The first line portion 11 and the second line portion 21 are each disposed in the element body 30 in such a manner that the axis X1 along the line thickness direction does not intersect the mount surface 5. Specifically, the axis X1 is parallel to the mount surface 5. Therefore, when the directional coupler 1 is mounted on the mount substrate 80, the first line portion 11 and the second line portion 21 face the substrate electrode 82a, 82b, or 82c in small parts of the first line portion 11 and the second line portion 21 corresponding to the respective thicknesses t1 and t2. This can reduce the area where the first line portion 11 and the second line portion 21 face the substrate electrode 82a, 82b, or 82c, and can suppress the occurrence of stray capacitance. Thus, the directional coupler 1 according to the present embodiment can suppress the occurrence of stray capacitance when the directional coupler 1 is mounted on the mount substrate 80. It is thus possible to prevent degradation of characteristics of the directional coupler 1.
[1-3. Method for Manufacturing Directional Coupler]
A method for manufacturing the directional coupler 1 will now be described with reference to
First, a slurry containing ceramic powder, binder, and plasticizer is prepared and applied onto a carrier film to form a sheet (S11: sheet forming step). A plurality of ceramic green sheets serving as bases for forming the insulating layers a to m are thus produced. The ceramic green sheets have a thickness of, for example, 5 μm or more and 100 μm or less. Examples of a device used to apply the slurry include a lip coater and a blade coater.
Next, via holes are formed in the ceramic green sheets (S12: via hole forming step). Through holes for forming the interlayer conductors v1, v2, v51, and v52 in corresponding ones of the ceramic green sheets are thus made. Examples of a device used to form the via holes include a punching machine and a laser beam machine. To form holes for the interlayer conductors v51 and v52 that are rectangular in shape, a rectangular punch or a rectangular mask may be used to form rectangular through holes.
Next, the ceramic green sheets are printed with a conductive paste (S13: printing step). By this printing operation, the via holes are filled with the conductive paste and the interlayer conductors v1, v2, v51, and v52 are formed in corresponding ones of the ceramic green sheets. By this printing operation, conductor patterns, such as the first line portion 11, the second line portion 21, and the extended patterns 16 and 26, are also formed on corresponding ones of the ceramic green sheets. The conductive paste contains such materials as conductive powder (e.g., Cu powder), binder, and plasticizer. Examples of the printing technique used here include screen printing, inkjet printing, gravure printing, and photolithography.
Next, the ceramic green sheets are stacked (S14: sheet stacking step). Specifically, the ceramic green sheets are stacked in the order of the insulating layers a to m illustrated in
Next, the multilayer block B1 is cut into individual pieces (S15: cutting step). For example, the following technique is used to cut the multilayer block B1.
For example, when the multilayer block B1 is cut in a grid pattern using a dicing machine, a plurality of cut-and-removed portions C1 are formed in the multilayer block B1. In the present embodiment, the cut-and-removed portions C1 are provided at positions where the interlayer conductors v51 forming the first mounting terminals 51a and 51b are partially cut away. Therefore, when the cut-and-removed portions C1 are formed by cutting, the interlayer conductors v51 are exposed on a cut surface C2. Thus, the interlayer conductors v51 forming the first mounting terminals 51a and 51b are formed in such a manner as to be embedded from the cut surface C2 into the directional couplers 1.
Next, the directional couplers 1 separated but yet to be sintered are fired (S16: firing step). As a firing apparatus, for example, a batch firing furnace or a belt-type firing furnace is used. In this firing operation, the ceramic powder in the ceramic green sheets is sintered and the conductive powder in the conductive paste is also sintered. The sintering of the conductive paste produces the main line 10, the secondary line 20, the first mounting terminals 51a and 51b, and the second mounting terminals 52a and 52b. The cut surface C2 formed in the cutting step serves as the mount surface 5 after the firing. The first mounting terminals 51a and 51b formed by the interlayer conductors v51 are embedded from the mount surface 5 into the element body 30 while being exposed on the mount surface 5.
Next, the plating layer 53 is formed on each of the exposed first mounting terminals 51a and 51b and second mounting terminals 52a and 52b (S17: plating step). Electrolytic plating using Ni or Sn is used as a plating technique. When an Au material is used to form the plating layer 53, electroless plating or other techniques may be used. The plating step may be omitted as appropriate. The directional coupler 1 is thus made by steps S11 to S17 described above.
[1-4. Directional Coupler According to First Modification of First Embodiment]
Specifically, the pair of extended patterns 16 on the insulating layer c is extended toward the mount surface 5 and exposed, at the respective end portions of the extended patterns 16, on the mount surface 5. The end portions exposed on the mount surface 5 are each connected to the first mounting terminal 51a or 51b. Similarly, the pair of extended patterns 26 on the insulating layer k is extended toward the mount surface 5 and exposed, at the respective end portions of the extended patterns 26, on the mount surface 5. The end portions exposed on the mount surface 5 are each connected to the second mounting terminal 52a or 52b.
In the directional coupler 1A according to the first modification, again the first line portion 11 and the second line portion 21 are each disposed in the element body 30 in such a manner that the axis X1 along the line thickness direction does not intersect the mount surface 5. Therefore, when the directional coupler 1A is mounted on the mount substrate 80, the first line portion 11 and the second line portion 21 face the substrate electrode 82a, 82b, or 82c in small parts of the first line portion 11 and the second line portion 21 corresponding to the respective thicknesses t1 and t2. This can reduce the area where the first line portion 11 and the second line portion 21 face the substrate electrodes 82a to 82c, and thus can suppress the occurrence of stray capacitance.
[1-5. Directional Coupler According to Second Modification of First Embodiment]
Specifically, the first line portion 11 is composed of a line portion 11a (first layer) formed on the insulating layer f, a line portion 11b (second layer) formed on the insulating layer e, and an interlayer conductor (not shown) connecting the line portion 11a and the line portion 11b. The first line portion 11 has 7/4 turns. Similarly, the second line portion 21 is composed of a line portion 21a (first layer) formed on the insulating layer h, a line portion 21b (second layer) formed on the insulating layer i, and an interlayer conductor (not shown) connecting the line portion 21a and the line portion 21b. The second line portion 21 has 7/4 turns. Thus, in the directional coupler 1B, the first line portion 11 and the second line portion 21 have more turns and this increases the degree of coupling between the first line portion 11 and the second line portion 21.
In the directional coupler 1B according to the second modification, again the first line portion 11 and the second line portion 21 are each disposed in the element body 30 in such a manner that the axis X1 along the line thickness direction does not intersect the mount surface 5. Therefore, when the directional coupler 1B is mounted on the mount substrate 80, the first line portion 11 (line portions 11a and 11b) and the second line portion 21 (line portions 21a and 21b) face the substrate electrode 82a, 82b, or 82c in small parts of the first line portion 11 and the second line portion 21 corresponding to the respective thicknesses t1 and t2. This can reduce the area where the first line portion 11 and the second line portion 21 face the substrate electrodes 82a to 82c, and thus can suppress the occurrence of stray capacitance.
A configuration of a directional coupler 1C according to a second embodiment will now be described with reference to
As illustrated in
The directional coupler 1C is rectangular parallelepiped-like in outer shape and has the mount surface 5, the top surface 6 opposite the mount surface 5, and the four side faces 7 perpendicular to both the mount surface 5 and the top surface 6.
The element body 30 is formed, for example, by stacking the plurality of insulating layers a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, and k. The insulating layers a and k are outermost layers, each serving as an outer coating.
The first mounting terminals 51a and 51b are each formed by stacking the interlayer conductors v51 in the three adjacent insulating layers b, c, and d of the plurality of insulating layers a to k in the stacking direction (see
The main line 10 has the first line portion 11 and the pair of extended line portions 15 connected to the respective ends of the first line portion 11 (see
An electric signal is transmitted to the first line portion 11 through the first mounting terminals 51a and 51b and the extended line portions 15. The line thickness t1 of the first line portion 11 is smaller in size than the line width w1 of the first line portion 11 (see
The secondary line 20 has the second line portion 21 and the pair of extended line portions 25 connected to the respective ends of the second line portion 21 (see
The line thickness t2 of the second line portion 21 is smaller in size than the line width w2 of the second line portion 21 (see
The second line portion 21 and the first line portion 11 are formed on the same surface of the insulating layer f, and arranged adjacent to each other on this same surface. The second line portion 21 has the line surface 22 perpendicular to the line thickness direction. The line surface 22 of the second line portion 21 is perpendicular to the mount surface 5. The second line portion 21 has, at respective ends thereof in the line width direction, the edges 23 perpendicular to the line surface 22. In the direction perpendicular to the mount surface 5 (Z-direction), one of the edges 23 of the second line portion 21 faces a corresponding one of the edges 13 of the first line portion 11.
The second line portion 21 having the structure described above is electromagnetically coupled to the first line portion 11.
In the directional coupler 1C according to the second embodiment, the thickness t1 of the first line portion 11 is smaller than the line width w1, and the thickness t2 of the second line portion 21 is smaller than the line width w2. The first line portion 11 and the second line portion 21 are each disposed in the element body 30 in such a manner that the axis X1 along the line thickness direction does not intersect the mount surface 5. Therefore, when the directional coupler 1C is mounted on the mount substrate 80, the first line portion 11 and the second line portion 21 face the substrate electrode 82a, 82b, or 82c of the mount substrate 80 in small parts of the first line portion 11 and the second line portion 21 corresponding to the respective thicknesses t1 and t2. This can reduce the area where the first line portion 11 and the second line portion 21 face the substrate electrodes 82a to 82c, and can suppress the occurrence of stray capacitance. Thus, the directional coupler 1C according to the present embodiment can suppress the occurrence of stray capacitance when the directional coupler 1C is mounted on the mount substrate 80. It is thus possible to prevent degradation of characteristics of the directional coupler 1C.
[3-1. Configuration of Directional Coupler]
A configuration of a directional coupler 1D according to a third embodiment will now be described with reference to
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
In the directional coupler 1D of the third embodiment, the ground electrodes 41 improve shielding performance, and can prevent a magnetic field from leaking out or can block external noise from entering. Also, with the ground electrodes 41, it is possible to adjust the impedance of the directional coupler 1D and set the degree of coupling or directivity to the required specification.
In the directional coupler 1D according to the third modification, again the first line portion 11 and the second line portion 21 are each disposed in the element body 30 in such a manner that the axis X1 along the line thickness direction does not intersect the mount surface 5. Therefore, when the directional coupler 1D is mounted on the mount substrate 80, the first line portion 11 and the second line portion 21 face the electrode of the mount substrate 80 in small parts of the first line portion 11 and the second line portion 21 corresponding to the respective thicknesses t1 and t2. This can reduce the area where the first line portion 11 and the second line portion 21 face the electrode of the mount substrate 80, and can suppress the occurrence of stray capacitance. Thus, the directional coupler 1D according to the present embodiment can suppress the occurrence of stray capacitance when the directional coupler 1D is mounted on the mount substrate 80. It is thus possible to prevent degradation of the characteristics of the directional coupler 1D.
In the directional coupler 1D, stray capacitance occurs between each ground electrode 41 and a corresponding one of the first line portion 11 and the second line portion 21. However, this stray capacitance can be determined to a certain extent at the stage of designing the directional coupler 1D, and thus does not have a significant impact on variation in the characteristics of the directional coupler 1D. For example, in a conventional directional coupler, the stray capacitance varies depending on the shape or position of the substrate electrodes 82a to 82c of the mount substrate 80, and this tends to cause variation in the characteristics of the directional coupler. In the directional coupler 1D according to the third embodiment, however, the stray capacitance occurring in the directional coupler 1D is set to fall within a predetermined range, and the stray capacitance occurring between the directional coupler 1D and the substrate electrodes 82a to 82c of the mount substrate 80 can be suppressed by the configuration similar to that of the first embodiment. That is, in the directional coupler 1D of the third embodiment, it is possible not only to suppress stray capacitance occurring when the directional coupler 1D is mounted on the mount substrate 80, but also to reduce variation in the characteristics of the directional coupler 1D.
[3-2. Directional Coupler According to Modification of Third Embodiment]
Specifically, in the thickness direction of the first line portion 11 and the second line portion 21, the ground electrodes 41 are disposed outside the region between the first line portion 11 and the second line portion 21 (i.e., outside the region across which the first line portion 11 and the second line portion 21 face each other). The ground electrodes 41 are disposed on the respective side faces 7 of the element body 30 in such a manner that the electrode surfaces 42 intersect the axis X1 along the thickness direction of the first line portion 11 and the second line portion 21.
In the directional coupler 1E according to the first modification, again the first line portion 11 and the second line portion 21 are each disposed in the element body 30 in such a manner that the axis X1 along the line thickness direction does not intersect the mount surface 5. Therefore, when the directional coupler 1E is mounted on the mount substrate 80, the first line portion 11 and the second line portion 21 face the substrate electrode 82a, 82b, or 82c in small parts of the first line portion 11 and the second line portion 21 corresponding to the respective thicknesses t1 and t2. This can reduce the area where the first line portion 11 and the second line portion 21 face the substrate electrodes 82a to 82c, and thus can suppress the occurrence of stray capacitance.
Although the directional couplers and the radio-frequency module according to the first, second, and third embodiments of the present disclosure and their modifications have been described, the present disclosure is not limited to the first, second, and third embodiments and their modifications. Any embodiments obtained by making various changes conceived by those skilled in the art to the first, second, and third embodiments and their modifications, and any embodiments obtained by combining component elements of different embodiments and their modifications, may be included in the scope of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, as long as they do not depart from the spirit of the present disclosure.
The element body 30 of the directional coupler 1 according to the first embodiment may include one or more insulating layers different from the plurality of insulating layers a to m described above. For example, the first mounting terminals 51a and 51b may each be formed by stacking the interlayer conductors v51 in four or more adjacent insulating layers, and the second mounting terminals 52a and 52b may each be formed by stacking the interlayer conductors v52 in four or more adjacent insulating layers. For example, the insulating layer g interposed between the first line portion 11 and the second line portion 21 does not necessarily need to be a single layer, and may be formed by a plurality of insulating layers. For example, the extended line portions 15, each do not necessarily need to be formed by stacking the interlayer conductors v1 in the three insulating layers c, d, and e, and may be formed by stacking the interlayer conductors v1 in four or more adjacent insulating layers. For example, the extended line portions 25, each do not necessarily need to be formed by stacking the interlayer conductors v2 in the three insulating layers h, i, j, and may be formed by stacking the interlayer conductors v2 in four or more adjacent insulating layers.
Although the main line 10 of the directional coupler 1 according to the first embodiment is composed of the first line portion 11 and the extended line portions 15, the main line 10 does not necessarily need to include the extended line portions 15. That is, the first line portion 11 may be extended at both ends thereof toward the mount surface 5 and connected to the first mounting terminals 51a and 51b. Similarly, although the secondary line 20 of the directional coupler 1 is composed of the second line portion 21 and the extended line portions 25, the secondary line 20 does not necessarily need to include the extended line portions 25. That is, the second line portion 21 may be extended at both ends thereof toward the mount surface 5 and connected to the second mounting terminals 52a and 52b.
The cross-sectional shape of the first line portion 11 and the second line portion 21 according to the first embodiment does not necessarily need to be rectangular, and may be oval or may have an arc-like curve.
As a directional coupler that suppresses the occurrence of stray capacitance when mounted on a mount substrate, any of the directional couplers according to the present disclosure can be widely used as a component mounted in a radio-frequency module.
Matsushita, Yosuke, Kuribara, Atsushi
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